Conveying apparatus with drift correction feature



E. F. URBAN May 12, 1970 CONVEYING APPARATUS WITH DRIFT CORRECTION FEATURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ERNEST F. URBAN ATTORNEY Filed Dec; 4, 1967 May 12, 1970 E. F. URBAN 3, 1,

CONVEYING APPARATUS WITH DRIFT CORRECTION FEATURE Filed Dec. 4., 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ERNEST F. URBAN BY M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,511,361 CONVEYING APPARATUS WITH DRIFT CORRECTION FEATURE Ernest F. Urban, 7950 SW. 184th St., Miami, Fla. 33157 Filed Dec. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 687,620 Int. Cl. B65g 15/62 U.S. Cl. 198-202 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Conveying apparatus includes an endless conveyor for transporting articles such as folded newespapers along a prescribed path. The endless conveyor is trained over rollers, one of which is axially movable to correct deviation of the articles from the path.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to conveying apparatus. In its more particular aspects, the invention relates to apparatus for conveying newspapers.

Newspaper publishing plants often include a newspaper folding device at the exit end of a printing press. A multibelt endless conveyor transports the newspapers horizontally along a predetermined path from the folder to a vertical conveyor which carries the papers vertically upwardly to stacking or other handling apparatus on a floor above the press. The entire operation occurs at high speeds, the newspapers traveling rapidly in unbroken succession with their folded edges transverse to the direction of travel and overlapping the next preceding newspaper.

The newspapers must accurately follow '"the predetermined path from the folder to the vertical conveyor. If the stream of newspapers deviates to either side of the path, the papers are delivered in improper alignment relative to the vertical conveyor. When this occurs, the stream of newspapers tends to go off at an angle to one side or the other of its intended path in the vertical conveyor, and may become so misaligned that apparatus on the-floor above cannot handle the newspapers. This problem causes shutdown of the entire operation, and delay in publication.

The weight of newspapers issuing from the folder on the press varies in accordance with the number of pages in the newspaper. A major effect of this variable is to cause the stream of newspapers on the horizontal conveyor to deviate to one side or the other of its predetermined path, generating the problem noted above. Since the number of pages in a newspaper often varies from day to day or between editions on a single day, delays because of the problem of newspaper stream misalignment are frequent and assume major economic significance to newspaper publishers.

Accordingly, a main object of the invention is the provision of conveying apparatus permitting correction of drift of conveyed articles from a predetermined path.

Other objects, and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description which, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention, for purposes of illustration only and not for determination of the limits of the invention. For defining the scope of the invention, reference will be made to the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, where similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

3,511,361 Patented May 12,1970

FIG. 1 is a side view of conveying apparatus embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view on section line 44 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1, conveying apparatus generally indicated at 10 is shown horizontally transporting a stream of folded newspapers 11 from a folder (not shown) towards a vertical conveyor generally indicated at 12. Vertical conveyor 12, which is conventional, comprises a system of elongated rollers and endless wires traveling in grooves spaced axially along the rollers. The rollers and wires are arranged so that the newspapers execute a right-angle turn shortly after delivery to vertical conveyor 12, and are conducted in a generally vertical direction by wires 14, 16 to handling apparatus on a floor above. The papers are held between wires 14, 16 by friction forces developed by tension in the wires.

Horizontal conveying apparatus 10 includes rollers generally indicated at 18 and 20 see also FIG. 2). Rollers 18, 20 have longitudinal axes 19, 21 respectively. An endless conveyor in the form of four conveyor belts 22, 24, 26, 28 pass around rollers 18, 20, which form terminal points of the conveyor loop. It will be appreciated that the endless conveyor could comprise more or fewer than four endless belts. The belts transport newspapers 11 along a predetermined path generally normal to the longitudinal axes of rollers 18, 20, and having a centerline 30. The papers travel on the upper or delivery run of the belts in the direction of arrow 31 toward roller 18, which is a driven roller. Roller 20 is an idler roller, as is roller 32, which supports the delivery run of the belts at a location spaced between rollers 18, 20.

The belts are trained over crowned pulleys 34, 36, 38, 40 (see also FIG. 3), which are secured in axially spaced relationship on roller 18. Each pulley has a pair of radially extending flanges with one flange disposed on each of the opposite sides of a conveyor belt, in close proximity to the side of the belt.

Roller 18 includes a tube 42 having opposite ends in which bushings 44, 46 are press-fitted. Bushings 48, 50 having cylindrical inside bearing surfaces 52, 54, are tightly fitted in bushings 44, 46. A drive shaft 56 extends coaxially with roller 18 and has outside bearing surfaces 55, 57. Bearing surfaces 52, 54 of roller 18 are in axially sliding contact with surfaces 55, 57 of shaft 56. Keys 58, 60, received in complementary slots in shaft 56 and bushings 48, 50, secure roller 18 for rotation with shaft 56. Roller 18 is mounted for bodily, linear, axial movement on the shaft by virtue of the sliding contact between surfaces 55, 57, on the shaft and bearing surfaces 52, 54 on the roller. A sliding fit is provided between the surfaces of the keys and the surfaces of the key slots in bushings 48, 50. Opposite ends of shaft 56 are rotably mounted in side support members 62, 63 (see also FIG. 2). Rollers 20 and 32 are journaled in the support members. One end of shaft 56 is operatively connected in a conventional manner to a drive motor (not shown), which may be of any suitable type of conventional design.

Axial movement of roller 18 is effected through a shafting member which is generally indicated at 64 (see FIGS. 3, 4) and includes an annular collar 66 and a radially extending, elongated arm member 68. Collar 66 is secured by bolts 70 to the prongs of a yoke on the lower portion of arm 68. The collar is received in an annular recess formed in bushing 50 of roller 18. The walls of the recess are in rotatably sliding contact with the surfaces of the collar so that the roller can turn freely within the collar.

Roller 18 is effectively mounted for movement with shifter 64 in a direction axial to the roller by provision of the collar in the recess, because axial movement of the collar movs roller 18 longitudinally along shaft 56.

Movement of shifter 64 is effected through an elongated shaft 74, which is generally parallel to the axis of roller 18 and has one end portion received in an aperture in the free end of arm 68. The external surface of shaft 74 is threaded throughout the length of the shaft. Nuts 76, 78 secure shaft 74 to arm 68. Shaft 74 passes through a frame 80. A sprocket 82 is rotatably mounted in frame 80 by suitable bearings, which fix the sprocket against axial movement in the frame. Sprocket 82 has a hub 83 having an internally threaded, centrally formed aperture. The threads in the hub mate with the threads on shaft 74. Extendable dust covers 75, 77 protect exposed portions of shaft 74.

A shaft 84 is rotatably mounted in frame 80 at a location spaced from sprocket 82. A relatively small sprocket 86 is secured for rotation with shaft 84. An endless drive chain 88 meshes with the teeth of the sprockets to operatively connect the sprockets with one another. A hand Wheel 90 is secured to shaft 84, so that rotation of hand wheel 90 rotates shaft 84, thereby rotating sprocket 86 and causing drive chain 8 8 to rotate sprocket 82. Rotation of sprocket 82 moves shaft 74 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of roller 18, thereby moving shifter 64 and thus moving roller 18 axially on shaft 56. As roller 18 moves, the flanges on the pulleys on roller 18 restrain the conveyor belts from movement relative to the roller in a direction axial to the roller.

Roller is held by supports 62, 63 against axial movement. The conveyor belts are restrained from axial movement relative to roller 20 in a direction axial to roller 20 by a belt aligner including a roller which is generally indicated at 92 (see FIGS. 1, 2), and includes a shaft 93 journaled in supports 62, 63. A plurality of pulleys 94, 96, 98, 100 are disposed in axially spaced relationship along shaft 93. Each pulley has a pair of radially extending flanges, one disposed on each of the opposite sides of a conveyor belt. Roller 92 is spaced from roller 20 in a direction towards roller 18, but is close enough to roller 20 to effectively restrain movement of the belts in a direction axial to roller 20. In the embodiment illustrated, this distance is about two feet. The length of each run of the conveyor belts is about six feet.

The return run of the endless conveyor, traveling in tthe direction of arrow 33, (FIG. 1) passes in a reverse curve around roller 92 and a smooth-surfaced, cylindrical, tension idler roller 102. Tensioning roller 102 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 104, which has opposite ends rigidly secured in spaced-apart parallel arms 106, 108. Arms 106, 108 are pivotally mounted on shaft 93 of roller 92, so that the arms pivot about an axis transverse to the conveyor belts. Roller 102 extends generally parallel to and adjacent aligner roller 92. Coil spring 110 is secured to arm 108 and to a projection 112 fixed on support 62, and resiliently urges roller 102 against the conveyor belts to maintain the belts under proper tension.

An indicator is provided for convenience in determining the axial position of roller 18 relative to a base position in which the longitudinal centerline of the endless conveyor coincides with centerline 30 of the predetermined path of the newspapers. The indicator includes an index in the form of a pointer 114 (FIGS. 3, 4) which is secured to arm 8 of shifter 64. Another index, in the form of a collar 116 having a central groove, is fixed on a shaft 118. Collar 116 is disposed closely adjacent pointer 114, so that the relative positions of pointer 114 and tthe groove in collar 116 can be determined at a glance. When roller 18 is in its base position, that is when the roller has not been moved to either side of a central position in its span of movement, the pointer is aligned with the groove. When the roller has been moved, the lateral distance between the pointer and the groove in the collar indicates the distance from the base position. The side of the collar on which the pointer is disposed indicates the direction from the base position that the roller has been moved.

Discussion of operation of the device will be initiated with roller 18 in its base position, as depicted in FIG. 2, and the stream of newspapers accurately following its predetermined path to vertical conveyor 12. This path is normal to the axes of rollers 18, 20 and the delivery and return runs of the conveyor belts are also normal to the roller axes. If the paper stream drifts to the left side of the path, hand wheel is operated to move roller 18 in a direction towards the right side of the path. The flanges on the pulleys of roller 18 force the delivery ends of the belts to move with roller 18, so that the centerline of the delivery run of each belt also moves to the right as schematically indicated by the dot-dash lines 120 of FIG. 2. Axial movement of roller 18 to the right causes the stream of papers to move to the right, thereby correcting the original deviation to the left. Movement of roller 18 is continued until the papers are again following the predetermined path, at which time movement is stopped and roller 18 remains in position until a change in page size or other variable causes the paper stream to deviate from its path and another adjustment is required.

Although movement of roller 18- has caused the centerlines of the delivery runs of the conveyor belts to follow lines 120, the centerlines of the return runs of the belts follow dotted lines 122 because the belts are trained around aligner roller 92. The portions of the return runs from aligner roller 92 to roller 20 coincide with the centerlines occupied by the belts when roller 18 is in its base position. Aligner 92 thus maintains the entry ends of the belts tracking in the same axial positions on roller 20 even though roller 18 is moved.

If the paper stream drifts to the right side of its prescribed path, hand wheel 90 is operated to move roller 18 in a direction towards the left side of the path until the drift is corrected, and the paper stream again follows without deviation the prescribed path to the vertical conveyor 12. Drift to one side or the other of the prescribed path may occur when the roller 18 is in its base position, or when it has been moved to one side or the other of the base position. Irrespective of the position of roller 18, it can be moved axially in a direction to correct the drift so long as the roller is not at either end of its span of axial movement. For a six-foot conveyor, a span of 2 inches on each side of a base position has been found adequate.

Conveying apparatus according to the invention has proved highly advantageous in correcting drift of a stream of newspapers from its prescribed path to a vertical conveyor carrying the newspapers to stacking apparatus. Implementation of inventive conveying apparatus has solved the problem of the paper stream angling to right or left of its intended path in the vertical conveyor and becoming so misaligned that the stacking apparatus cannot handle them. By adjusting the axial position of roller 18 in accordance with drift of the newspaper stream in its path to vertical conveyor 12, a pressman can assure that the papers will be delivered from vertical conveyor 12 to the stacking apparatus in proper alignment, thereby preventing difficulties at the stacking apparatus which could cause shutdown of the printing operation.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, modifications of that embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Folded-newspaper conveying apparatus, comprising first conveying means for conveying a stream of folded newspapers in a generally vertical direction, and second conveying means for delivering the stream of folded newspapers to the first conveying means,

the second conveying means including first and second horiontally spaced-apart rollers having parallel, rectilinear longitudinal axes, endless conveyor means passing around the rollers for transporting the stream of folded newspapers along a path extending in a direction from the second roller to the first roller and being aligned with the first conveying means,

mounting means mounting the first roller for bodidly, rectilinear movement in a direction along its axis,

first restraining means carried by the first roller for restraining the endless conveyor means from movement elative to the first roller in a direction along the axis of the first roller,

the first retraining means including a plurality of restraining members projecting radially outwardly from the first roller in close proximity to the endless conveyor means,

means holding the second roller against movement along its axis,

second restraining means for restraining the endless conveyor means from movement relative to the second roller in a direction along the axis of the second roller, and

motive means for effecting bodily, rectilinear movement of the first roller along its axis to correct deviation of the stream of folded newspapers from the path.

2. The conveying apparatus of claim 1, the mounting means including a rotatable shaft extending coaxially relative to the first roller and having outside bearing surfaces, and means for securing the first roller for rotation with the shaft,

the first roller including inside bearing surfaces in axially movable relationship with the outside bearing surfaces of the shaft, and

the motive means including a shifting member projecting radially outwardly from the first roller,

means mounting the first roller for movement with the shifting member in a direction axial to the first roller, and

moving means operatively associated with the shifting member for moving the shifting member in a direction axial to the first roller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the means mounting the first roller for movement with the shifting member including means including walls defining an aniular recess in the first roller,

the shifting member including a collar disposed in the recess and having surfaces opposing the walls of the recess, and an arm member associated with the collar and extending radially outwardly to an end portion, the walls of the recess being in rotatably movable relationship with the opposing surfaces of the collar, and

the moving means including a second shaft extending in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the first roller and having a first portion secured to the end portion of the arm member and an externally threaded second portion spaced from the first portion,

a frame,

a first sprocket rotatably mounted on the frame and including a hub and means defining an internally threaded aperture in the hub,

the second portion of the second shaft threadedly engaging the aperture in the hub, a third shaft mounted on the frame at a location spaced from the first sprocket, a second sprocket carried by the third shaft, a drive chain operatively connecting the sprockets,

and means for rotating the third shaft to rotate the second sprocket. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, including means for indicating the axial position of the first roller relative to -a base position, including a first index carried by the shifting member, and

a second index mounted in fixed position adjacent the first index.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the restraining members including a plurality of flanges extending circumferentially around the first roller and spaced axially along the first roller.

6. The apparatus of claim 5,

the endless conveyor means including a plurality of conveyor belts,

each conveyor belt having opposite sides, and

one of the flanges being located in close proximity to each side of each conveyor belt.

7. The apparatus of claim 6,

the first restraining means including a plurality of crowned pulleys spaced axially along the first roller,

each pulley receiving a conveyor belt, and

the flanges being carried by the pulleys.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the second restraining means including a third roller spaced from the second roller and having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the axes of the first and second rollers,

a plurality of restraining members projecting radially outwardly from the third roller in close proximity to the endless conveyor means, and

the endless conveyor means having a return run passing over the third roller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, including tensioning means for tensioning the endless conveyor means,

the tensioning means including a pair of spaced-apart, generally parallel arms mounted for pivotal. movement about the axis of the third roller,

a fourth roller carried by the arms and extending generally parallel to and adjacent the third roller,

the return run of the endless conveyor means passing between the third and fourth rollers, and

means associated with at least one of the arms for resiliently urging the fourth roller against the endless conveyor means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,844 2/1885 Millet 198202 1,977,720 10/ 1934 Fowler 74-242.11 2,745,538 5/1956 Lamb 198190 3,244,418 4/ 1966 Henderson 226-19 1,833,289 12/1931 Hiller 198-202 2,568,174 9/ 1951 Staacke 198-202 3,088,581 5/1963 Rostal 1,98-202 RICHARD AEGERTER, Primary Examiner 

